Yet in all these races, the challengers have left their mark, certainly when we compare the primary showings of Sens. Cornyn, McConnell and Cochran this year against their runs in 2008, the last pre-tea-party election.

Six years ago, Sen. Cornyn won 81% of the primary vote; this year it was 59%–a drop of 22 percentage points. In 2008, Sen. McConnell was renominated with 86% of the vote; last month he drew 60%–a decline of 26 points. And without the tea party around, Sen. Cochran ran unopposed in the 2008 Republican primary, while Tuesday night’s returns showed him at just 49% and slightly behind his challenger, Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel.

There is certainly dissatisfaction to be tapped within the GOP this year, with the aggregate tally for the three Senate primaries showing incumbents with about 1.15 million votes and challengers coming in around a respectable 833,000. Six years ago, the challengers to Sens. Cornyn and McConnell received barely a quarter-million votes combined. (No vote was taken in Sen. Cochran’s ’08 primary.)

The next veteran GOP senator to face his party’s voters will be Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. His primary is next Tuesday.

Rhodes Cook is a political analyst and publisher of a bimonthly political newsletter.

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Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.